The cold wind howled through the palace halls. It was midnight, and the moon hung low in the sky like a pale eye watching over tragedy. In her small, dimly lit chamber, Ye Qingge knelt on the floor. Her hands were tied behind her back. A white silk scarf lay coiled beside her—a death sentence waiting to be carried out.
Qingge stared at the scarf. Her heart felt heavy, but her eyes burned with anger. She thought about her life—how she had once stood tall as the Empress of this kingdom, ruling by Emperor Xuan Huanghao's side. Now? She was nothing more than a broken woman facing execution.
"Why?" Qingge whispered to herself. "How could it come to this?"
She remembered everything— when she first met Xuan Huanghao, their shared dreams of power, the battles they fought together. But most of all, she remembered his betrayal.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of footsteps. Xiao Zhuozi, the eunuch tasked with carrying out her execution, entered the room. His face was blank, emotionless. He didn't even look at her as he picked up the scarf.
"You've been sentenced," he said flatly. "Prepare yourself."
Qingge glared at him. "Do you know what I've done for this empire? Do you know who I am?"
Xiao Zhuozi smirked. "You're just another fallen star, Your Majesty. No one cares anymore."
His words stung, but Qingge refused to show weakness. She lifted her chin defiantly. "If there's justice in heaven, my blood will curse this dynasty forever!"
Before the scarf tightened around her neck, Qingge's mind raced back to the past. She saw flashes of her younger self—a bright-eyed girl full of hope. Back then, she believed in love, loyalty, and honor. How foolish she had been!
Years ago, before she became Empress, Qingge was just a noblewoman from the ye family. Her father was a powerful lord, respected across the land. When Xuan Huanghao approached them for support during his rise to power, Qingge's father agreed—but only if Huanghao married Qingge.
At first, Qingge wasn't thrilled about the arrangement. But after meeting Huanghao, something changed. He was ambitious, intelligent, and charming. Together, they plotted and schemed, rallying allies and crushing enemies until Huanghao finally claimed the throne.
When Huanghao became Emperor, Qingge became Empress. Their marriage seemed perfect—at least on the surface. They ruled side by side, and soon, they had two children: Crown Prince Xuanyi and Princess Qingyi. For a while, life was good.
But beneath the glittering facade of the palace, danger lurked.
One day, rumors began spreading that the ye family planned to overthrow the Emperor. At first, Qingge dismissed them as nonsense. Who would dare accuse her family of treason? Then came the evidence—or, so everyone claimed. Letters, forged documents, witnesses…, everything pointed to her father and brothers.
Qingge went to Huanghao, begging him to investigate further. "My family is innocent!" she cried. "This is a conspiracy!"
Huanghao looked at her coldly. "Evidence doesn't lie, Qingge. If your family betrayed me, I have no choice but to act."
And act he did. Within weeks, the entire ye household was arrested. Men, women, children— No one was spared. Even Qingge's beloved brother, who had always supported her, was executed publicly.
Qingge couldn't believe it. "How can you do this to me?" she screamed at Huanghao. "I gave you everything! Without my family, you'd never have become Emperor!"
Huanghao turned away. "Power demands sacrifice, Qingge. You should understand that better than anyone."
From that moment on, Qingge knew their marriage was over. Huanghao had used her—and now he discarded her like trash.
As if losing her family wasn't enough, Qingge found herself surrounded by enemies. Mei Furen, Huanghao's new favorite concubine, quickly rose to prominence. With her beauty and cunning, Mei won Huanghao's heart—and poisoned his mind against Qingge.
Then there were Qingge's cousins, Ye Yaohua and Ye Qinglan. Once allies, they now worked against her. They whispered lies into Huanghao's ears, painting Qingge as greedy and power-hungry. Worst of all, they revealed secrets about the ye family's supposed crimes.
"They sold us out," Qingge realized bitterly. "They wanted power for themselves."
Yaohua and Qinglan were rewarded handsomely. Both were brought into the palace as concubines, replacing Qingge in Huanghao's bed. Meanwhile, Qingge's own son, Xuanyi, lost his position as Crown Prince. The title passed to Mei Furen's son, Xuanyeg.
Qingge's daughter, Qingyi, suffered too. To strengthen ties with foreign tribes, Huanghao ordered her to marry a Hun prince. On the journey north, Qingyi fell ill and died. Some said it was an accident; others whispered it was poison.
When news of Qingyi's death reached Qingge, she collapsed in grief. "Not my baby…" she sobbed. "Not my little girl…"
But Huanghao showed no sympathy. "Stop crying," he snapped. "A princess must serve her country. That's her duty."
Qingge wanted to scream, to fight back—but what could she do? She was powerless, trapped in a gilded cage.
Eventually, Huanghao decided to end things once and for all. He accused Qingge of plotting rebellion alongside her family. Despite her protests, she was stripped of her title and thrown into prison. There, she waited for death.
Now, as Xiao Zhuozi tightened the scarf around her neck, Qingge's final moments played out like a nightmare. She saw Huanghao's face, twisted with cruelty. She saw Mei Furen smirking triumphantly. She saw Yaohua and Qinglan laughing at her downfall.
"I'll never forgive you," Qingge vowed silently. "If I'm reborn, I'll make you pay. Every last one of you."
With that, the world went dark.
In the palace, Huanghao sat alone in his chambers. Though victorious, he felt uneasy. Something about Qingge's final glare haunted him.
Meanwhile, far beyond the mortal realm, Qingge's spirit lingered. Her soul burned with hatred, vowing revenge not just on Huanghao, but on everyone who wronged her.
Little did they know, her story was far from over.